Age UK’s staff including call centre and office staff are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today.

The 200 low-paid workers are angry after years of below-inflation pay rises have resulted in their wages falling by 15.3 per cent in real terms since 2021.

Industrial relations have deteriorated further since Age UK imposed an insulting pay rise of just two per cent for most workers amid a cost-of-living crisis.

Age UK claimed that it could only afford two per cent, because it was concerned that its reserves would drop to £25 million. However, the charity has now confirmed that its reserves are forecast to stand at £31 million by the end of the year.

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Age UK workers perform important roles in providing services, advice and assurance to vulnerable elderly people every day. They are the backbone of Age UK and cannot swallow another real-terms pay cut. Age UK can afford to make a reasonable pay offer - that is what needs to happen.”

The workers are based in London, Blackpool, Newton Abbot in Devon and Warrington in Cheshire. They work across a range of roles, including on the Advice Line and Silver Line emotional support and friendship service, as well as supporting regional Age UK partner organisations.

The ballot for strike action opens on 14 October 2026 and closes on 18 November 2026.

Unite regional coordinating officer Matt Freeman said: “Unite’s Age UK members are dedicated to helping elderly people who are often highly distressed and in need. Age UK leadership thinks that makes them an easy target and that they will put up with unjustifiable attacks on their pay because they don’t want to let people down.

“But is it Age UK’s behaviour that is letting the charity’s service users down - this dispute will continue to escalate unless Age UK puts forward an acceptable deal.”

An Age UK worker said: “Staff at Age UK feel totally undervalued and let down by management, who appear willing to let our pay continue to fall further behind the cost of living rather than offer a fair increase. Age UK campaigns for pensioners to have financial security. Its own staff are facing exactly the same financial pressures, and we deserve a fair pay rise to help keep up with rising costs.”

ENDS